


settling

by waterfoul



Series: Luciel [2]
Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Fluff, M/M, this is indulgent as all hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:22:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26725111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waterfoul/pseuds/waterfoul
Summary: Luciel deals with the effects of the Deadfire's fauna. Aloth deals with him.
Relationships: Aloth Corfiser/Male Watcher, Aloth Corfiser/The Watcher
Series: Luciel [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1945060
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	settling

**Author's Note:**

> we're stickin with that one word title theme it seems  
> (even tho i cannot title things for the life of me; i'll probably change it later)  
> i once again did not proofread.

The cabin creaked and whined as the Defiance rose and sank with the waves. Luciel held Aloth close to his chest, his cheek pressed to his, not at all listening to whatever magical theorem Aloth was explaining. He pointed to a rune saying something or other about souls. Luciel nodded helpfully when Aloth turned to make sure he was still coherent. 

He wasn't. Luciel was busy trying to figure out how their conversation got to where it had. Five minutes ago, he made a comment about not understanding some spell. He expected Aloth to sigh and say something offhand about it being too complicated for Luciel, but instead, he pulled him toward the bed and sat him down to explain. Domesticity was still hard too get used to, it seemed. 

But on top of that _,_ and in some cases more importantly, he could not stop thinking about the painful sensation on his calf. It was a hot itch, a horrible one, that he didn’t even know what to compare to. He sat there, jaw clenched, unable to move and scratch at his leg.

Aloth turned back to him again, “Luce?”

He felt his face warm up. “Yeah, I’m listening.”

“Am I going too fast?”

Luciel shook his head. “I’ll probably never fully understand.” He stifled a yawn behind his hand and snuggled up to Aloth. He tensed his leg, forcing himself to be content. Out of sight, out of mind. Out of sight, out of mind. 

“Let's take a break,” Aloth said. He set his grimoire aside carefully then turned to face Luciel, who sat back against his pillows. Aloth’s hands felt hot on his side as he laid down on his chest. 

Luciel stopped himself for squirming. “I- I should change.” His underarms were still damp from working up on deck with Riggere and Chitupec, and his shirt stunk of dried sweat. He could change and hopefully excise whatever was causing his discomfort. 

“It’s fine.” Aloth kissed his cheek. “You should rest, Luciel, even for a little bit.” Luciel looked at the ceiling and sighed, feeling Aloth’s hand snake behind his head and into his hair. When was the last time he felt so warm?

“I really should- for the sake of your nose.”

Aloth gave him an odd look, but said a soft “As you wish,” as he got off him. 

Luciel kissed his cheek, then leapt out of bed. He grabbed a change of clothes, which went fine, but by the time he kicked off his trousers, his calf felt numb, _numb,_ of all things. He pulled his shirt over his head, sighing when it caught on the growths. He needed to get rid of ones like this. 

Aloth let out a startled noise. “Luciel, your leg! It looks... strange.”

“Corfiser, I’m purple, I’m always strange,” he muttered, sticking an arm through his sleeve. 

“ _Luciel_.”

“I _know,_ I think I got bit by something _._ ” Luciel twisted his leg to get a better look. “Ow.” The rash was pallid in comparison to his usual complexion (he liked to think of himself as a nice heather shade). He rubbed his hand over the bumpy skin, and, against his better judgement, scratched himself. Aloth gave him a withering sigh and got off the bed to take a look.

“Well, do you remember touching anything?” Aloth pursed his lips, then waved him off. “Oh, never mind. You touch _everything_.”

“How can I know what things do if I don’t touch them?” Luciel scowled and glared at his leg. “I don’t know- Rekke and I went out in those tidepools. I don’t remember anything stinging me there. I was keeping a pretty close eye for my notes- well, as close an eye as I can keep. So it _is_ possible some awful flesh-eating parasite bit me on the way out and now my leg is going to fall off.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Aloth said, tone mild, if not a bit dismissive of his dramatics. “Though, you were fascinated by that actor we met with one leg in Dunnage. You could join his troupe.”

“If your leg felt like it was on fire, I would be so much nicer than you’re being. And you know I hate theatre.” Aloth hummed softly in response as he grabbed the water pitcher and a rag from the table. He drenched the rag in the leftover water, wrung it out, then bent to press it softly to his leg. “You’re a miracle,” he said, when the burning began to subside. 

“Just keep this wrapped around it,” he said, watching Luciel hobble over to the bed then eagerly pat the space beside him. “Hopefully,” Aloth continued, moving to sit, “your leg will still be there when we wake up.”

“And if it isn’t?”

“It’ll confirm your flesh-eating parasite theory and you’ll have something to add to your notes.”

“Oh, grand.” Luciel laid back down and extended his arms. The bite still hurt, but it was manageable. So he held Aloth close to his chest and settled his chin on top of his head. Despite the thick scent of the ocean, Luciel could smell Vailian tea—bergamot, maybe—and what fragrances remained from their private trip to the Luminous Bathhouse on him. Luciel closed his eyes and saw Aloth’s bashful smile behind damp hair, his blue eyes gleaming. Luciel had kissed a drop of water off his brow. He clung to that memory, and pressed a kiss to Aloth’s hair. “Stay, tonight?” he mumbled. 

“Of course,” Aloth hugged his middle.”I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself against a rash.”

“You’re full of jokes today.” Luciel let his head sink into the too soft pillow, only lifting it when he felt Aloth’s hand on his cheek. It was warm against his skin, against the growth that covers his eye. And he laid there stupidly as Aloth kissed him.

“How are your notes coming along?” Aloth asked after a few moments of staring. 

“Alright,” he said. “I've been adding in that tries to eat me--plant, beast, or otherwise.” 

“May I?” Aloth reached for the leather book Luciel had set carefully on the floor. He’d seen him a few times, well into the small hours of the night, writing hurriedly, trying to take down each moment he remembered. Luciel nodded, and he grabbed the book to flip through the pages. Much of the book was already filled with drawings of and various notes about the flora of the Deadfire, as well as notes that ranged from detailed descriptions of their scent, appearance, and texture to warnings about toxins in the leaves or notes about the space between each thorn. A smaller section of the book focused on the fauna of the archipelago. Though those pages were crammed with labeled drawings.

“You’ve been practicing,” Aloth said, tracing some of the letters.

“Yeah, well,” Luciel sat up with him. “If Rekke can speak passable Aedyran in a month, I can learn to write better.” 

“It isn’t a race.” 

Luciel shrugged. “I guess.” He patted a short rhythm on Aloth’s thigh. 

They talked quietly over his book for another half hour before settling into the bed. Luciel wrapped an arm around Aloth’s waist and kept him close. He pressed his face into the pillow, feeling Aloth rub circles into his back. “Stay,” Luciel wanted to say, “until we’re forced to part.” And at the risk of sounding like a fool, Luciel spoke. 

“Do you think maybe you’ll move into my cabin?” he whispered. “Instead of keeping your hammock, I mean. I know you need your space, but I imagine you hate the damn thing, and there’s far more space in here. And I can always, I don’t know…” 

Aloth stopped moving his hands. “Oh.” Luciel felt sick to his stomach. “Well, yes, I’d like to. I wouldn’t want to impose on your space, though.”

“You wouldn’t,” he said, “at all. I hate having all this to myself.”

He pulled himself closer to Luciel. “That would be rather nice. To share,” he whispered into his shoulder. “We can talk more about it in the morning.”

“As you like.” Luciel kissed his brow. “Tomorrow, then?”

“Tomorrow.”

**Author's Note:**

> this is indulgent nonsense!!  
> thanks for reading <3


End file.
